


Time Between

by Remsyk



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are still working things out, Background Relationships, But there are things they still need to do, M/M, Mother/Son Bonding, Pollux - Freeform, Post Season 6, SHEITH - Freeform, Slow Burn, Space Wolf - Freeform, Will eventually become a fix-it fic, everyone wants to go home, hopping on the bandwagon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-05-25 07:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14971712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remsyk/pseuds/Remsyk
Summary: The Paladins of Voltron are victorious, but at a steep price. With Earth set as their next destination, they're ready to make their way home. There are just a few things that need to be taken care of first.





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> How about that bountiful feast of Sheith we were served this season? I'm hopping on the post Season 6 bandwagon, but this fic will explore how they actually make it to Earth, sticking as close to what I think we'll get next season (the dust hasn't even settled on six and we're already begging for the next round, haha).

Even as he said the words, the concept of returning to Earth still seemed unreal. They had been gone for so long, longer still for him, factoring in the Quantum Abyss, but the prospect of returning made his stomach flutter unexpectedly.

He had found home in the stars. For so long, home was where ever Shiro was, and Keith was content to follow him wherever he led. Now, it had expanded to include his mother, someone he had never imagined meeting, and his wolf, another companion he had never expected.

But Earth… It surprised him that a simple word could stir such strong nostalgic feelings, despite the lack of anchors that remained on the planet itself. Maybe it was more nostalgia for what was familiar, for food he actually recognized, landmarks that held personal meaning, and sunsets that had watched him grow up.

He had put the idea out of his head; there were more important and urgent things to deal with now. It surprised him how badly he wanted to go back.

“We can’t go immediately,” he said, startling the others out of their celebrating.

As their faces fell, he saw them rein in their emotions, minds returning to more immediate issues. There was a time when they would have protested, demanding to know why not. Now, they were more practical, focused, ready to set aside their own desires to do what needed to be done.

They had all matured so much.

“Right,” Lance mumbled, disappointment lacing his voice. He inhaled deeply as he set his shoulders. “Right. The Lions aren’t the best way to transport anyone beyond their pilots.”

“We also need to get Shiro somewhere to rest and recover,” Keith nodded at Lance, acknowledging his point. “We all need it, too.”

“We’re going to need supplies,” Hunk added. “I grabbed what I could, but depending on how long it takes to get there, we may not have enough.” He paused, glancing around the group. “We do know how far Earth is, right? Do we even know where we are now?”

“It would be best if we find refuge somewhere safe,” Allura spoke up, frowning at the ground. “We need to take stock of the situation and prepare for the journey ahead.”

“What about the Olkari? Or the Balmerans? Can we make it to them?” Pidge asked, looking at Coran. “Personally, I’d prefer the Olkari. They have the capability to get us a ship that could carry the Lions as well as any supplies and passengers. Plus, they could make us something to replace Shiro’s arm.”

A heavy silence fell over the group as all eyes turned to the last sleeping paladin. Keith clenched his jaw as his eyes locked on the remains of the severed limb, his mind replaying the events that led to the desperate action.

“From what I remember, we’re not too far from the Olkari,” Coran said, his voice hushed in the still air. “Six or seven vargas at most. I’ll have to check our coordinates with the Lions.”

“We’ll have to lie low for a while,” Allura said, her expression hard. “News of Lotor’s disappearance will further destabilize the Galra empire. We no longer have any ties to the Galra.”

Once more, silence fell between them, weighing them down like a fog. Their situation was worse than they could imagine.

Keith pushed the feeling away. He had face difficult odds before; the entire battle ethos of the Blades was like tearing down a brick wall with nothing but knives and grim determination.

“The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get there.” Keith met everyone’s eyes, heartened to find each of them determined and ready. “Coran, can you hail the Olkari; let them know that we’re coming and that we’ll need medical facilities for Shiro. Go with Pidge in the Green Lion. Hunk, distribute the supplies you’ll think we’ll need for the trip to each Lion. Romelle, you can ride with the Princess. Does anyone need anything else?”

When no one spoke up, he nodded firmly. “Right. Let’s go.”

The paladins worked quickly and efficiently, each playing their part and assisting where they were needed. Once again, Keith was struck by how much they had grown, how they had matured in the short time he had been gone. They were each a far cry from the clueless teenagers thrown into an intergalactic war with no idea of what to do.

Krolia helped him carry Shiro’s sleeping form into the Black Lion. They settled him back in the pod, the only soft surface in the cargo hold. They left the cover off the deactivated pod. The wolf jumped up on the end, peering down at Shiro with his odd piercing eyes as his perched on the edge.

“Keep an eye on him for me,” Keith smiled slightly at the wolf, scratching his ears briefly. The wolf huffed once, enough confirmation for Keith. Krolia settled on a low crate and crossed her arms as she leaned back.

Keith spared one last glance at Shiro, eyes roving over the pure white hair, his slack face, more relaxed than he ever remembered, to the steady rise and fall of his chest, reminding Keith that he was alive.

Shiro was _alive_.

He turned away sharply as the thought caught in his throat, threatening to unravel his already tenuous control. He sat down and grabbed the controls, closing his eyes as he reached out to Black.

‘Ready, girl?’

A low rumbled echoed through his head, both pleased and content.

“Everyone ready?” Keith called through the coms, inhaling a steadying breath as they all replied their affirmative. “Let’s go.”

***

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his daze. Keith looked up sharply into the concerned eyes of his mother.

“You’ve done enough for now,” she said softly, her firm tone broking no argument. “You need to rest.”

Keith shook his head, trying to clear the haze that seemed to creep into the edges of his vision. He flexed his hands, suppressing a wince when his fingers protested, his muscles sore from the near constant use, wrapped tight around the controls.

“I will wake you when we get close.”

Keith slumped in his seat as the last string of his self control snapped. Exhaustion suddenly pressed on him like a physical weight, turning his limbs to lead. He dropped his arms to his side, his hands sliding loosely off the controls. After a moment, he rolled forward, bracing himself on the chair, silently grateful when Krolia helped him stand.

There was a time when he would have shrugged off her help, needing to prove he was capable of helping himself. Now, he had long accepted her steady presence, the two years together having brought them closer together. No words were needed between them, both prone to long stretches of silence. He was eternally grateful for their level of understanding; he didn’t think he had enough energy to speak.

Krolia released him as he passed into the cargo hold. His shuffling steps brought him to the edge of the pod, where a crate had been shoved close. Keith sunk down on the box and leaned on the pod, crossing his arms as he dropped his head, face turned to Shiro’s.

He felt the brush of the wolf’s tail on his face from where he was curled up, unmoved from his perch. Keith hummed, too tired to do more to express his gratitude, as his eyes slipped shut, his gaze locked on Shiro.

Keith woke with a gasp, his arm snapping out, reaching for a form that had slipped from his grasp. His hand smacked painfully against the hard armor of Shiro’s chestplate, and Keith inhaled a shaky breath, blinking against the sudden moisture that blurred his vision.

He was still here. Shiro was okay. He hadn’t let Shiro fall; he wasn’t lost.

Keith uncurled slowly, hissing as his body protested, every bruise, burn, scrape, and abused muscle making themselves known.

“Keith-” Krolia appeared in the doorway, her face unreadable. “I was just about to wake you. We’re about to approach Olkarion.”

“Okay,” Keith rasped with a grimace. He even sounded like he had been beaten into the ground.

“How is he?” Krolia asked, walking further into the room.

Keith shook his head, rolling his shoulders as he studied Shiro’s face. “I expect he’ll sleep for a while.”

She nodded, then stepped to the side. It was invitation enough to switch, and Keith walked stiffly from the room, pausing briefly in the doorway to glance back at Shiro, sparing a selfish moment to remind himself of his presence.

The following events were just a blur for Keith. The relief of landing on a familiar planet, of finally feeling safe among friends was a tangible thing between the displaced paladins. They had been on edge for too long, and the loss of the Castleship weighed heavily on everyone, especially so on Coran and Allura. They had lost their home, the last remaining thread that had linked them to their lost world. Despite the discovery of a pocket of surviving Alteans, the loss cut deep.

Shiro had been settled in the medical ward and cleared of any immediate danger. As battered and bruised as he was, all he needed was rest. In the meantime, the Olkari doctors pledged to begin work on a new prosthetic arm, fusing Altean and Olkari technology to complete the task.

The others quickly dispersed to their rooms, no doubt ready to pass out from the whirlwind of events. There would be time to sort out the consequences later. Now, they all needed rest.

Allura and Coran took more coaxing than the others, but in the end, they too relented. Romelle stuck close to Krolia, insisting she remain with her when she announced she was contacting the Kolivan and the Blades. Krolia had no objections.

Keith insisted he didn’t need anything, but the doctors had immediately latched on his battered state and insisted on treating his wounds. He had quickly relented, enough of a sign of his exhaustion than anything, and had been given a bed next to Shiro, both left in a room by themselves.

He drifted in and out of sleep, waking each time with a gasp, heart pounding against his chest, his dreams twisting into nightmares as memories of his fight with Shiro mixed with his deepest fears. Every blow echoed with possibilities, each block instead becoming a killing blow, sometimes from Shiro, sometimes his own. The clone’s words played over their fight, a melody of sharp words composed to cut at the core of Keith’s resolve, shredding his self confidence, allowing room for fear and doubt.

But the worst was the fall, the lurch of his stomach as Shiro slipped from his grip, falling out of reach, disappearing into the depths below. There were no words then. Only all encompassing silence as his unconscious form vanished.

Every time, he would glance frantically around the unfamiliar room until his eyes landed on Shiro, his own bed just beyond his reach. He found solace watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, the movement easy to trace against the thin medical shirt and blanket. Time lost all meaning in the short moments he remained awake. He instead tracked in the number of breaths Shiro took, the steady movement reinforcing his presence, that Keith had succeeded, despite the voices in his head saying otherwise.

Then, he woke to an empty room.

His chest tightened painfully, cutting off his breath as his stomach bottomed out. His sat up sharply, ready to tear the complex apart, Shiro’s name on his lips when a hand pressed against his chest.

“Be still,” Krolia’s voice cut through the roar of the blood rushing through his veins. Keith’s eyes snapped to her face, his eyes wide with unspoken fear. “They are repairing what remains of his arm,” she said clearly, her hand holding him firm. “Shiro is safe.”

Keith searched her face, finding only her steady assurance, and collapsed back on the bed, closing his eyes as he fought to control his roller coaster of emotions. Fear gave way to overwhelming relief, followed quickly by a surge of tears. His eyes burned as his throat closed, and he pressed the heels of his palms against them, determined to hold it together a little longer. Despite the time spent with her, he didn’t want to fall apart in front of his mother.

A gentle hand threading through his bangs wrenched a choked sob from him, renewing the burn behind his eyes. She brushed his hair back, then pressed a kiss to his forehead, and the dam broke.

He curled toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she sat down on the bed, pulling him close. He buried his face in her stomach, sobbing as she ran a soothing hand up and down his back, the other combing through his hair.

“I’m proud of you.”

Keith relaxed his hold, rolling his head on her lap. “What?” He asked, his voice thick.

“You have done so much in the fight against the Galra Empire. You are a paladin of Voltron, an important member of the Blade, and an incredible fighter.” Krolia smiled down at him. “You have grown into more of a man than I could have ever imagined.”

Keith closed his eyes, turning away to press his face against her leg. “But-” he croaked, shaking his head slowly.

“You saved the man you love.”

Keith froze, his eyes snapping open.

“Why does that frighten you?” Krolia shifted, forcing Keith to look up at her.

Keith could think of a thousand reasons to be scared, but he couldn’t voice a single one, the mere thought of Shiro turning away from him holding his tongue. The echo of the clone’s biting words rose in the back of his mind.

“Embrace it, little one,” She continued, reading the fear in his eyes as her own darkened in sorrow. “You have been given a second chance.”

Keith inhaled sharply as he realized what she meant. He untangled his arms as he sat up, then threw them around her neck, pulling her close as she gasped in surprise. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, finding his old grief echoed in her own.

She hesitated a moment, then wrapped her arms around him. “I am the one who is sorry. I didn’t know.”

They remained locked together in silence, each drawing strength from the other, no more words needed between them.

A heavy weight suddenly landed on Keith’s legs, and he pulled back enough to smile at the wolf, reaching out to scratch his ears. “Where did you come from?” He asked fondly.

A light cough at the door drew their attention. Romelle stood just inside, hands clasped behind her. “The Princess would like to speak with Keith.”

Krolia rose slowly, resting her hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You may let her in, Romelle. Thank you.”

Keith felt a surge of fondness for the Altean as he realized she had stood guard outside the door, allowing them a moment of privacy. He quickly wiped his eyes, drying his face with his blanket.

Allura swept inside, glancing briefly at Romelle. Relations between the two women had been tumultuous. Allura seemed torn between pure disbelief at her existence and a desperate longing to never let her out of her sights. For Romelle, Allura was just another Altean, one who had managed to stay outside the bounds of Lotor’s reach. She couldn’t quite grasp the depths of Allura’s fascination.

“Keith, how are you feeling?”

Keith straightened and cleared his throat. “Much better, princess.”

She smiled at him, her relief plain on her face. “That’s so good to hear. The others will be happy to hear as well.”

“Heck yeah, we are!”

Keith glanced behind Allura just as she turned, smiling as the other paladins filed into the room. Coran, Matt, Ryner and surprisingly, Kolivan trailed behind. He had a sudden urge to cover himself; he was sitting in a hospital bed in nothing but thin medical scrubs, a far cry from his usual uniform.

“I didn’t realize we were having a meeting,” Keith said, trying to hide his unease.

Kolivan marched through the group until the reached Keith’s bed, then extended his arm out to him. Keith blinked in surprise before matching him, wrapping his hand around Kolivan’s forearm as the Galra’s hand engulfed his own. “It is good to see you are in one piece. Excellent work on your mission.”

Keith inhaled sharply, then nodded. “Thank you.”

Kolivan nodded once, then released him, stepping back to turn to the rest of the room.

“We have so much to tell you!” Pidge said, her eyes shining with excitement. “We wanted to tell you and Shiro at the same time, but the surgery is taking longer than expected.”

Keith’s stomach did an odd flip as Krolia’s hand tightened on his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

Pidge quickly shook her head, adding her hands for emphasis. “It’s nothing to worry about, really. It’s just that the Olkari haven’t worked with Galra tech quite like that, so they’re taking their time.”

Keith closed his eyes a moment, replaying the words inside his head, then turned his attention to Allura. “Why are you all here?”

“First of all, the Olkari are finalizing plans to create a replacement arm for Shiro. Pidge and Hunk have been working tirelessly with them to ensure it is exactly what he needs.” Allura smiled at Ryner. “Once their part is complete, I will infuse it with Altean energy.”

“A few more tweaks after that, Shiro will have a brand new, super cool arm!” Pidge finished, nearly bouncing in place.

“We’ll do some debugging, minor adjustments, run a few diagnostic tests,” Hunk said as he gripped his hands together under his chin. “Once we’re done, Shiro will have the best arm in the universe! Way better than anything the Galra could do.”

Keith bit the inside of his cheek, reining in his black thoughts. It may be the best prosthetic ever created, but it wasn’t Shiro’s original arm. The Galra had seen to that, and now Keith had forced him to relive the experience.

“That’s great news,” he said, hoping it didn’t sound as forced at it felt.

“Also, Slav said he will be able to reconstruct the Teladuv,” Allura said. “But it will take some time.”

Keith grimaced, but nodded. Even factoring in the construction time, it was still faster than trying to span the distance in their Lions alone. They would have more down time than they thought.

But, it would give Shiro more time to rest and recover, and hopefully, master the use of his new arm.

“What about the Galra?” Keith asked, turning to Kolivan.

“Sendak is consolidating his forces,” Kolivan said, a deep frown maring his expression. “The Flame of Purification is moving quickly to absorb or eliminate any factions that had shown their support to Lotor. There are still some pockets that are pushing back, but it won’t be long before they fall as well. Because no one knows for sure if Lotor is dead, there has been resistance to the call for another Kral Zera. There is little doubt that Sendak will take the mantle when it happens.”

“This whole thing is a mess,” Lance sighed, crossing his arms. “This is like trying to stamp out an ant hill.”

Keith looked down at his lap as he tried to put the pieces together. The first priority was Shiro. They needed him to recover so he could pilot the Black Lion. Then then needed to get back to Earth and get the plans from Pidge’s father, then actually _build_ the castle, which would require materials and equipment, a small army of people, time they may not even have-

“If I may.”

The group turned to Romelle, standing apart from them. “My people are still trapped on the colony. I believe it is time that we break free from the bonds that Lotor created.” She squared her shoulders, bracing for any objections.

“Of course!” Coran said at once, startling Romelle. “We’ll need all the help we can get to build the Castleship. If they’ve been there as long as you say, then there must be some technology that has survived that we can use.”

“Imagine, Coran,” Allura said, her voice barely above a whisper. “An entire colony of Alteans.” She looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “We’re not alone.”

Coran’s gaze softened as he looked at her. “It’s hard to believe, princess,” he said, matching her tone.

“They’re not far from here,” Krolia said. “They are being kept inside the Quantum Abyss.”

Silence met her words, then the room erupted.

“Did you say Quantum Abyss?”

“That place doesn’t exist!”

“How did you survive?”

“You could have been pulled into nothing!”

“Can I come too?!”

“MATT!”

“What? It’s a place called the ‘Quantum Abyss?’ How can I not want to go?”

“If anyone goes, they have to follow my lead exactly.” Keith’s harsh words broke through the chaos, silencing the room. “One wrong move, and you will be torn apart.”

Hunk gulped dramatically, suddenly looking green. Pidge and Matt had matching expressions of excitement, while Lance looked thoughtful.

“Wait, quantum, as in quantum physics? Space time mumbo jumbo?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at Keith.

“Yes?” Keith answered warily, not sure what Lance was leading to.

“Is that why you look older?”  

“When Mom and I went there, our ship was destroyed,” Keith said, ignoring the looks of concern. “We hitched a ride on the back of a space whale. It took us two years to reach the center.”

Lance gaped at him, for once matching the disbelief on everyone’s face. “Two years!?” He squeaked. “You spent two years on the back of a space whale? But you weren’t gone for nearly that long!”

Keith shrugged, glancing warily at Pidge and Matt’s expressions. They looked ready to pounce. “Time moves differently there.”

“Speaking of time, I think it’s time for everyone to leave.”

They turned to find an Olkari doctor standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. “My patients need their rest.”

Keith felt torn as two additional nurses wheeled in another bed, Shiro asleep under a pile of blankets. Relief coursed through him as he studied his face; his coloring was better, the disparity between his hair and skin not quite so shocking. He felt himself relax as he realized just how tense he had been since waking up alone. Having Shiro back in his sights did wonders for his peace of mind, but it awakened an awareness within him.

He was hyper aware of Shiro’s every move, every minute twitch -was it due to pain, an involuntary reaction, the stirrings of a nightmare?- everything that marked him as changed -his hair, his arm, his peaceful expression. What could Keith even say to him?

“Out!”

Everyone filed out obediently, but not without the paladins stopping at Shiro’s bed, each offering their support for their sleeping leader.

Finally, they were left in silence.

Keith wanted to move, to reach out and touch him, reassure himself that he was there, real, tangible and alive, but exhaustion pulled at him. The excitement of so many people at once had drained him more than he expected, and he reluctantly laid back, turning his face to Shiro.

He fell asleep to the sight of Shiro’s slumbering face.

***

Keith grit his teeth as pain surged through him, pulling on his arms as he strained to hold their weight. He clung to his knife, holding Shiro’s wrist in a death grip. He tried to pull him up, groaning with the effort, when his knife suddenly slipped, slicing through the metal.

His stomach lurched with the sudden drop, then just as suddenly, he jerked to a stop, wrenching a gasp from him just as he lost his grip on Shiro.

He stared in horror, releasing his hold on his knife without a second thought, following him into the abyss. He reached out, straining to bridge the distance, desperation clawing at his throat, every ounce of his being crying out to reach just a little further, just a little more-

“Keith!”

A hand suddenly grabbed his, their grip tight in his own. His eyes snapped open, gasping for breath as he locked eyes with Shiro, his own laced with concern.

Keith looked between them to where their hands were clasped. He had reached out to Shiro in his dream, and Shiro had answered.

His vision swam, and he felt himself begin to shake. “Shiro?”

“Hey, I’m here. It’s okay.” Shiro began to rise, and Keith had a brief moment of panic.

“Don’t move!” He quickly rose, tearing his blanket off with his free hand in the process. He ignored Shiro’s startled expression, wiping his eyes roughly as he approached Shiro’s bedside.

“Keith, are you alright?”

Keith laughed harshly, the sound catching in his throat. Here he was standing on his own two feet in almost perfect health, while Shiro, who was still on the mend, was asking if he was okay.

“I’m fine,” he said, trying and failing to sound like it. “Just a bad dream.”

Shiro frowned. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Keith shook his head, taking the time to rein in his sudden surge of emotions. “How about you? How do you feel?”

Shiro opened his mouth to answer when Keith held up his free hand. “Be honest.”

He looked down at his lap, then glanced at their clasped hands. Keith squeezed his hand before releasing it, watching as Shiro pulled it to lay on his legs, palm up. “Physically, I’m… sore, tired, weak almost,” he began, his voice subdued. “I know how everything is supposed to work, but I feel out of sync.”

Keith bit back on the urge to reach for him, sensing Shiro’s need to get everything in the open without interruptions. He was silent for a long moment, his eyes distant as he absently reached for his shoulder, covering the bandages that were wrapped around the remains of his arm.

“I don’t remember everything; between his memories and my own, it’s hazy.”

The words lay heavy between them, catapulting Keith back to a moment from what felt like a lifetime ago, when Shiro had fallen from the stars, when Keith had spent his life searching for an unknown. A mind left in shambles, the results of an unending search, and a question of how to move forward together.

“I remember parts of the fight.”

Keith stiffened, bracing for the repercussions. He was still coming to terms with his nightmares. He knew, in his heart, that Shiro would never willingly hurt him, that every blow, every vicious word thrown like daggers came from Haggar, but it didn’t mean that he was immune to the damage.

“You managed to stop me-”

“Him.” Keith cut him off, glancing up sharply. “That was the clone, not you.”

Shiro met his gaze with a rueful smile. “I’m sorry he forced you into that position.”

Keith stared at him, confused by the unexpected turn. “What are you talking about?”

Shiro rolled his wrapped shoulder, wrenching a gasp from Keith. “Are you seriously apologizing to _me_ for cutting off your arm? The arm Haggar was using to control his every action? For putting you through the pain of losing your arm all over again?”

“Keith, you should never have been in that position-”

“No, stop it. _Enough_.” Keith squeezed his eyes shut against Shiro’s startled expression, clenching his fists to hide the shaking. “I don’t understand why you’re not angry with me, why you don’t hate me for what I did to you!”

“Why would I hate you? You saved me.You _found_ me.”

Keith shook his head, refusing to look up at Shiro’s soft words. He’d already fallen apart once today.

“Keith, look at me.”

Keith inhaled sharply and held his breath, forcing his jumbled emotions back from the edge, then opened his eyes slowly. Shiro watched him, his eyes soft, a fond smile gracing his lips. “You never gave up on me. Even at the end, you refused to let go.” He reached out and grabbed Keith’s hand, clasping it tightly as he pulled Keith forward in their familiar hug.

Keith choked back a sob as he wrapped his arm around Shiro, burying his face in his neck. Shiro pressed his own into Keith’s shoulder, his words piercing right through Keith’s chest.

“How could I possibly hate you?”

Keith held tightly, knowing that soon, they would be back in the fray, traveling across the universe on the next part of their mission to stop the Galra threat.

But for now, in this moment, this was all that mattered.


	2. Into the Abyss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this would be only six chapters? Ha, good times.

Once awake, Shiro was quickly cleared from the hospital, though under strict orders to continue resting as often as possible. To the paladins, it meant keeping an eye on their stubborn leader. They all took turns filling Shiro in on their plans, on what had happened during his time in the cryo pod. Shiro had been heartbroken at the loss of the Castleship, but he was equally excited to return to Earth.

Keith stayed out of it, studiously ignoring the glances Shiro tossed his way, hoping to draw him in and add what only he knew. 

Keith wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

Plans were made to travel back to the Quantum Abyss as soon as possible, given they had nothing but time, and Allura and Coran’s excitement. Matt managed to wrestle his way onto Pidge’s lion (not that she put up much of a fight), and once again, Romelle would ride with Allura, though this time it was by the princess's invitation. Keith was sure she would spend the trip asking her everything she could think of. Coran also insisted on going, and would ride with Hunk.

“Man, no one wants to ride with me,” Lance pouted.

“If you prefer, I could ride with you, Lance,” Coran offered with a flourish. “I could regale you with stories of our dearly departed Castle.” He clasped his hands together as he sighed dramatically, then perked up. “Oh, I know! I could tell you about the time my grandfather used his case of the Slipperies as lubricant for a particularly tricky assembly within the Castle’s engine room.”

Lance blanched. “I’m pretty sure I’m good.”

Krolia decided to remain behind. “I will monitor Galra movements with the Blade,” she said. “I will only get in the way.”

Keith was relieved to be up and moving again, ready to do something aside from wallow in his mutinous emotions, but the mission opened up an entirely new can of worms, one that he was hesitant to approach. 

Shiro was the Black Paladin. No matter how many times Keith piloted Black, he knew in his heart it was not his place, despite Shiro’s assurances to the contrary. He deserved to return to the pilot's seat, but at the same time, he still needed to rest. Keith was torn between bringing him on this mission, allowing him the chance to physically reconnect with Black and reaffirm his place on the team, and the desire to leave him behind, giving him more time to recover.

He dreaded bringing it up with Shiro.

In the end, the decision was made for him.

Shiro met him at the Black Lion, once again donning the paladin armor. Keith's stomach lurched painfully at the sight of the pinned sleeve, but he quickly pushed it aside. 

“Ready to go?” Keith asked, aiming for nonchalance. He must have missed the mark, as Shiro clasped his shoulder.

“I hope you don't mind if I tag along. I know I won't be of much help, but I'll do what I can.”

Keith hesitated, grimacing at the ground. “Shiro, you don't need to ask. Black is your lion. If anything, I should be asking your permission.”

“Why?” Shiro asked, genuinely curious. “I can't fly-" He rolled his shoulder, emphasizing his point “-and you've done a great job leading the team.” He smiled at Keith as he looked up at him. “I'm proud of you.”

Keith looked away, unable to voice the pain his kind words inflicted. Why didn't he understand, this wasn't what Keith wanted. It didn't matter how well Keith had handled the situation; without Shiro, it didn't mean anything. “Once you're back to one hundred percent, you can pilot Black again.”

Shiro squeezed his shoulder before heading inside. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Keith bit back his frustration and followed him into the cockpit. He hesitated briefly in the doorway as Shiro moved to stand beside the pilot's chair, then barreled forward, angry at himself. They had been here before, Keith in the pilot seat, Shiro at his side, ready to assist, but that had been in Keith's lion. Now-

He shoved the thoughts aside; they would only spiral into an endless vortex that would ultimately end with frustration for all involved. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, opening up the coms between the Lions.

“Alright, remember, once we get within range of the Quantum Abyss, everyone has to follow my lead  _ exactly _ . Understood?”

“You're not going to lead us into some invisible wall, right?” Lance asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Keith rolled his eyes as he quirked a slight smile. Behind him, Shiro chuckled lightly.

“That was only because you didn’t listen to me,” Keith said, his smile growing as his reply set off a wave of banter between the group. Despite the distance, time, and the constant uphill battles, they were still able to laugh and joke. Despite the ones they lost along the way, they still had each other.

The team launched with a goal in mind, spirits considerably lighter than just a few days before. 

Keith tried to hold the feeling close, knowing there was a long stretch of space before he needed to focus on flying, meaning plenty of time to talk to Shiro about… everything. He was getting tired of comparing his interactions with him as Before and After. 

Before Keith left Voltron, he would have jumped at the chance to spend time with Shiro. Before the clone drove a wedge in their bond. Before a puppet with Shiro’s face tried to kill him.

Now… even given a few days to rest, Keith hadn’t really had the chance to lock himself away and process everything that had happened. From the moment he and Krolia had found Romelle, he had been propelled from one objective after another.

Get back to the Castle and stop Lotor. Stop Shiro from taking Lotor. Save Shiro from Haggar’s control. Defend himself from Shiro. Get back to the rest of the team. Stop Lotor. Close the rifts. 

It never stopped. Keith had to.

“Why don’t you lay down for a little bit,” Keith suggested without turning. “I’ll wake you when we’re close.”

“I’m alright for now,” Shiro replied. Keith could see him shifting out of the corner of his eye, until he was leaning back against the console, facing Keith. “You seem on edge.”

Keith forced himself to not tense, driving home Shiro’s words. “I just have a lot on my mind.” Not a total lie, just that the source of most of it was in the same room.

Shiro was silent for so long Keith almost believed they wouldn’t have to talk. “I’m sorry for the things he said to you.”

That was the last thing Keith expected to hear, but if Shiro had proven anything thus far, it was that Keith could no longer read him like he used to. Or maybe he was reading him through the lens of the clone, his expectations muted by the off-hand remarks and second guesses that blackened the last few months.

“It’s okay, Shiro,” Keith said quietly. “It wasn’t you.”

“No,” Shiro said firmly, enough to startle Keith to look at him. “Not just during the fight. After you rescued him, after you stepped up as the leader, just like I knew you could.” Shiro moved to cross his arms, only to stop awkwardly with the remaining limb in the air. His expression twitched as he leaned back on it instead, the brief flicker cutting Keith like a knife. “He second guessed your decisions, made you doubt yourself, and pushed you away. And I’m sorry.”

Keith inhaled a shaky breath as he shook his head, eyes locked with Shiro’s. “That wasn’t-”

“ _ Stop _ it, Keith.”

The sharp words were enough to freeze him in his seat, eyes wide.

“You can say it over and over, that it wasn’t me, but  _ you didn’t know that then _ .” Shiro pressed his lips together as he inhaled a deep breath, closing his eyes. Keith held his breath, afraid to speak. “I have his memories; I remember your face.” He opened his eyes, pain and regret swimming in their grey depths. “You thought it was me.”

Keith wanted to deny it, to reassure him that despite what he remembered, that it hadn’t hurt, that he hadn’t thrown himself into his missions with the Blades with the intent on finding some other purpose to fill the void. But he figured out long ago that he couldn’t lie to Shiro. They knew each other too well. He dropped his head, his silence enough of an acceptance.

“I never would have let you go.”

Keith hunched in on himself, biting his lip against the surge of renewed hurt that rose to the surface, old wounds he had carefully hidden away easily found by the one person who could heal them. A familiar hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing gently. 

“Keith?”

“You’re right,” he ground out, refusing to look up. He felt Shiro’s surprise as his hand twitched. “It hurt. It hurt worse than anything I’d ever felt before, or since, and trust me, I’ve been through a lot.” He laughed bitterly, biting it off when his breath hitched. “But I never blamed you.”

“But-”

“I didn’t,” Keith said fiercely as he looked up. He blinked into Shiro’s startled face, so close to his own, but barrelled on. “And I wouldn’t change a thing either. Otherwise, we would have never found the quintessence, Romelle and the Alteans, or figured out Lotor’s plan. I would have never found my mother.” ‘I wouldn’t have found you’ hung in the air between them.

Shiro’s eyes softened even as a flash of pain crossed his face. “I just wish there had been a way to accomplish the same without hurting you.” He glanced briefly at the scar on Keith’s cheek. “You mean more to me than that.”

“What’s done is done,” Keith said simply. “All that matters is that you’re here now, safe.”

Shiro suddenly grinned. “Here being hurtling through space towards a quantum impossibility that could rip us apart into atoms if we make one false move,” he said mischievously.

Keith leaned back with a laugh and smiled at him. “You make it sound so gloomy. Let me show you where I grew up.”

They shared a grin as the words catapulted them into the past, when a short teen with even shorter sights on his future opened the door to his shack, showing his world to the person who would change his life.

“Keith, we’re approaching the edge.”

Pidge’s announcement brought them back to the present with a jolt. Shiro pulled back slowly, his hand heavy on Keith’s shoulder. Keith grabbed the controls as he turned his attention to the task at hand, trying to ignore the searing heat of Shiro’s touch.

“Alright. From this point forward, everyone will follow my exact movements. I’m sending the pathway for reference, but keep your eyes open for anything unusual. Last time, we were attacked by creatures that could shift through our ship. If you see anything approaching, alert us immediately.”

“Wait, shift through? As in pass through the walls?” Pidge asked, incredulous.

“You mean like ghosts?!” Hunk squeaked. “You were attacked by space ghosts!?”

“Everyone needs to focus,” Shiro said firmly. “Keith has set our course. Everyone stay sharp and follow his instructions.”

Affirmatives answered Shiro’s orders, and Keith flew them in. 

“Wow…”

“This place is incredible.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“How did you possibly make it through here?” Shiro gasped, eyes bouncing from one planetary phenomenon to the next. 

“It was close,” Keith admitted. “Without the space whales, Mom and I would still be trying to get to the center.” He suddenly tensed, drawing Shiro’s attention. 

“What-”

“We’ve got incoming! Massing ahead, just outside the path.” Keith shifted into battle mode, his entire focus on the impending fight. He could see the odd creatures materializing on the surrounding debris, ready to pounce. “Set your sensors to the boundaries of the pathway! Blast the things off before they can get a grip.” Distantly, he registered Shiro adjusting his stance, bracing himself for a potentially bumpy ride.

“Roger!”

Without warning, Keith rolled, dodging the first creature, setting off the battle. His world narrowed to the immediate, bouncing between destroying the creatures and shouting warnings when one of them flew too close to the edge. The last thing they needed was to lose one of the Lions, either to the unforgiving gravity or the phase shift creatures.

A warning blared, and Keith quickly turned to the source. “Hunk! You’re too close!”

“I can’t get back in!” Hunk yelled, his voice strained in fear. “I’m giving it everything I’ve got!”

Keith bit back a curse as his mind raced. “Pidge! Grab him with your vines! Allura, Lance, keep those things off her!” He wrenched his controls as they leapt into action. 

“How will I pull him back?” Pidge yelled as she fired, her vines wrapping tightly around the Yellow Lion. Keith scowled in concentration as he grabbed the Green Lion in Black’s jaws and punched her boosters, dragging them back from the edge.

“It’s working!” Hunk yelled just as he broke free. “Oh my gosh, I thought I was a goner,” he said, heaving a sigh of relief. “I thought for sure I was going to spend my last moments as a noodle.”

“I don’t care how pretty it is,” Lance said. “This place sucks!”

“Hard agree,” Pidge said. “Give me theoretical physics over this anyday.”

“If all goes well, we will never have to return,” Allura added. “The Alteans deserve someplace safe to call their home.”

Keith released the Green Lion and collapsed back in his chair, his eyes falling shut as he fought for breath. That was too close. After a few moments, he sensed eyes on him, and he rolled his head to the side and glanced up. Shiro watched him with a smile, his expression open. Pride, fondness, and something Keith didn’t dare place looked down at him.

“Do I even need to say anything?” Shiro asked.

Keith huffed a laugh as he let his head drop, hiding his sudden blush. “Shut up.”

***

The remainder of the trip passed without further incident, though they did get to see one of the space whales that called the Abyss its home.

_ “You spent two years living on the back of  _ that _?!” _

_ “Lance, I’m not going to say it again.” _

Keith landed outside the facility and hailed the group just before they disembarked. “Allura, I just want to warn you…” He trailed off, remembering the rows of pods, each a life Lotor had wrung dry for his own gain. Not unlike Haggar’s experiments, now lost under a pile of rubble. 

“Keith, what is it?” Allura prompted.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. How could he prepare her for what lay inside? 

“I will speak to her, Keith.” Romelle’s voice carried over the coms, steady and sure.

“Thank you,” he replied, then sat back with a sigh.

“How bad is it?” Shiro asked softly.

Keith shook his head. “I know what’s in there, and I still can’t quite wrap my head around it.” He motioned for Shiro to follow. They joined the others on the ground just outside the doors of the facility. He caught Romelle’s eye, then glanced at Allura and Coran. She nodded and ushered the two Alteans forward, leaving them behind.

“Hey, going without us?” Lance called as he moved to follow. 

“Let them go, Lance,” Keith said, stepping between him and the entrance. “They’ll need a moment.”

An anguished cry broke through the air, sending a ripple through the group.

“Allura!” Lance shove past Keith and raced inside. Pidge, Matt, and Hunk followed, leaving the Black Paladins alone. Shiro took a hesitant step as he glanced at Keith.

“Go.” Keith tipped his head to the open door. He watched Shiro disappear inside, picturing the scene just beyond the threshold. The gruesome discovery had left both mother and son reeling as they tried to reconcile the depths of Lotor’s depravity against the smooth talking prince turned Emperor. As horrified as Keith had been, he had been able to push his feelings aside to focus on the mission.

Now, he hesitated for a different reason.

The discovery of the station of Shiro’s clones, each pod lined up neatly along the walls, containing his sleeping form over and over again was fresh in Keith’s mind. The similarities were glaringly obvious. He wondered if Lotor had drawn inspiration from Haggar’s work, or if it was merely a coincidence.

He squared his shoulders as he carefully gathered the painful memories and shoved them to the furthest corner of his mind. Mission first, emotions later.

The scene inside was close to what he had expected, but it didn’t lessen the sting in his chest, the painful squeeze around his heart. Allura sat on the floor at Romelle’s feet in the middle of the room, sobbing in Lance’s arms. Coran knelt at her side, a hand over his face, completely silent. Pidge and Matt stood over a nearby console, typing furiously with matching grim expressions. Hunk stood by Pidge, pointing and offering suggestions in a low voice, as serious as Keith had ever seen him.

Like a moth to a flame, Keith sought out Shiro, finding him further inside, standing in front of a pod. He approached him cautiously as he studied Shiro’s face, kept carefully blank. 

“It doesn’t seem fair,” Shiro said just as Keith drew near, speaking to the pod. “This body was given life where theirs was taken away.”

Keith froze, clenching his eyes shut against the sudden sharp burn. What could he say to him, when it was the truth. It wasn’t fair, how the Galra played with the lives of those around them. Zarkon had sought to rule it, Haggar twisted it for reasons understood only to her, and Lotor had ripped it away for his own gain. 

“I can’t help but wonder why me.”

“She saved you.”

Shiro turned to him in shock as Keith gasped, startled by his own words. He’d spoken without thinking, but it was true. If Haggar hadn’t created the clones, Keith would have lost Shiro forever. He would have existed within the Black Lion indefinitely. 

After a moment, Shiro’s shock faded and was replaced by a rueful smile. “She never imagined how far you would go to save me.”

Keith looked away, his face burning. “She’ll answer for what she’s done.” 

“Keith.”

He turned to look over his shoulder at Romelle’s call. She stood ramrod straight at the head of the group, a sign Keith recognized as her brave front to cover her true feelings. He knew returning here wasn’t easy, her loss far more personal. Allura stood beside her, her red-rimmed eyes hard. Lance hovered just behind her, his worry obvious, and Keith wondered just when the dynamic had changed between them. His obsession with her had been clear even to Keith, but where shallow flirting existed, a deep respect remained.

“We’re ready to go,” Allura said in an even tone, all traces of her earlier grief buried deep below the surface. 

Keith nodded, then motioned to Romelle. “Lead the way.”

The solemn Altean led them through the facility until they stopped before a set of unadorned metal doors. Romelle turned to them as she palmed the control panel, opening them to an entirely different world.

“Welcome to Pollux.”


	3. Elders of Altea

Allura gasped as she stumbled through the doors, her eyes wide with wonder. “Juniberries,” she breathed. “I never thought I’d smell them again.” She inhaled deeply, leaning her face to the artificial sun. Everyone spilled out into the field, filling the air with shouts of disbelief and delight. It was a far cry from the mood just minutes ago, and once again, Keith felt the urge to hold the feeling close.

He’d learned to appreciate these moments.

As the others marvelled, he made his way to Romelle, who stood on the far edge of the field, half turned towards the surrounding woods.

“They won’t believe her,” she said, her eyes troubled. “Lotor made sure he was the center of our entire world.”

Keith nodded, having witnessed a glimpse of their blind devotion first hand. “If anyone can convince them, it’s Allura.”

Romelle grimaced. “I didn’t believe it at first, and I saw the Castleship.”

“Good thing we have you to help.” Keith’s lips quirked slightly when she scoffed loudly.

Allura’s laughter echoed over the clearing, a sharp contrast to her earlier grief. Lance smiled brightly at her as he gently placed a crown of flowers on her head. Keith couldn't help but smile. From what he had gathered, Allura was still coping with Lotor’s betrayal to the team and her own feelings. 

He turned his attention to Shiro, his breath catching in his throat. He knelt among the bright red flowers, cupping one to his face, his face relaxed and carefree. As if sensing Keith’s gaze, he looked up and smiled, then stood, bringing the flower with him as he carefully stepped through the field.

Without warning, he reached up and stuck the flower in Keith’s hair, just above his ear. “The red reminds me of you, spitfire.” 

Keith inhaled sharply as his cheeks flamed. He quickly pulled the flower out, holding it gently between his hands as he sputtered, ignoring his laughter. “You haven’t called me that since the Garrison.”

“Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic,” Shiro said with a grin. Keith pretended to grumble, but inside his heart was racing, leaving him lightheaded.

“The town is this way,” Romelle called as she motioned for them to follow. She smirked briefly at Keith, and he narrowed his eyes at her. 

The others ventured over reluctantly, randomly adorned with flowers. Allura had carefully secured her makeshift crown, the simple act cranking Lance’s smile into megawatt territory. Coren practically bounce over to Romelle, his excitement palpable.

“It's absolutely remarkable you were able to grow Juniberries here,” he said with a mix of disbelief and excitement. “Do you know if all the plant life here originated from Altea? Is there an organization dedicated to its preservation? What about animals? Do you have native species here?”

Keith smirked slightly as Romelle glanced at him, her eyes wide as she struggled to keep up with the rapid fire questions.

Hunk and Matt plucked petals from their hair as Pidge trailed slightly behind, her face scrunched in concentration as she squinted at readouts on a small tablet. Every few steps, Hunk would reach out and absently redirect her path to avoid trampling the flowers. 

“Is the town far from here?” Allura asked, cutting off Coran’s stream of questions.

“Just a short trek, princess.” Romelle waved them forward as she turned down the path. “This way.”

Keith watched as they all filed past, frowning slightly. On the one hand, he felt obligated to warn them of the potential they would be met with hostility, but there was a chance that since they had Alteans with them, they could welcome them instead. Romelle had made no indication either way, leaving Keith to speculate. They should be ready for the worst case scenario.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

“Keith? Everything alright?”

Shiro's softly spoken question broke through his thoughts. Keith shook his head as he absently rolled the flower in his hands. 

“She doesn't deserve to be hurt,” he said. He saw Shiro’s brows draw in confusion, but he remained silent. “The Galra, Lotor. I don't want her to add the Alteans to the list, too.”

“You don't think they'll listen to her,” Shiro stated.

“I don't think this will be the reunion she hopes it will be.”

“She's stronger than you think,” Shiro said, looking down the path to the team’s retreating backs. “We all have her back, no matter what happens.”

Keith clenched his jaw as he followed Shiro’s gaze. He closed his eyes when the familiar hand clasped his shoulder then fell away. He waited until he heard the crunch of Shiro’s steps following the others before bringing up the rear.

Plan for the worst. Hope for the best.

***

The woods gave way to the town, a strange mix of Altean technology and medieval architecture. Small houses of metal and wood surrounded the main town, marked only by buildings of two or three stories. All around them, people went about their business, giving them a wide berth as they made their way to the main square. 

Romelle ignored them all. In contrast, Allura’s head was on a swivel, taking in as much as she could with wide eyes. The wonder on her face was enough for Keith to know she hadn’t picked up on the tense atmosphere, the distrustful looks, the way parents pulled their children close.

This was a society that had been carefully cultivated, one Lotor had had thousands of years to perfect. 

Allura needed to convince them to trust her in a couple days.

Romelle brought them up short, stopping in the middle of the open square. People clung to the edges, crowding together to catch a glimpse of them, outsiders, oddities in their pure Altean bubble. Beside him, Shiro tensed slightly, enough to act should things go south, and Keith shifted closer to his right side, ready to cover him.

He didn’t expect the Altean’s to attack, but he’d had enough surprises thrown at him just this past week to be cautious. 

“You dare bring outsiders here?”

A tall man dressed in what looked like a uniform stepped into no man’s land separating them from the civilians. His spiked red hair was bright against his dark skin, brighter still than his expression.

“I demand an audience with the Elders,” Romelle stated formally, her voice carrying over the heavy silence. “I bring proof of Lotor’s treachery.”

The man’s face twisted as he reached behind his back. “Blasphemy!”

The paladins tensed, closing ranks around Allura, who remained uncharacteristically quiet through the exchange. Keith and Shiro stepped to either side of Romelle, unspoken beacons of support.

“Arun, is that any way to treat our guests?” A firm voice cut through the tension. The man, Arun scowled fiercely, eyes darting between Keith, Romelle, and Shiro before he stepped aside, bowing his head. 

“Forgive me, Eldest, but she means to denounce our protector.”

A woman walked slowly across the square, projecting an air of poise and grace. Her face was lined with subtle wrinkles, and her silvery grey hair, so clearly the result of age, was pulled back in a bun at the base of her head, every strand in place. She looked them over with clear eyes, her body unbent by time, unlike the few Alteans who stood just behind her, each reflecting the weight of their age.

Romelle inclined her head to her, lowering her eyes respectfully. “Eldest, my guests and I seek an audience.”

“You brought more Alteans to us,” she replied, looking past Romelle to Allura and Coran, ignoring Keith and Shiro. The two shared a look, but decided to wait and see how Allura responded.

“Eldest, I am Princess Allura, daughter of King Alfor,” Allura stated formally, tipping her head to the woman, respecting her position without deferring her own. “This is my advisor, Coran. And these are the Paladins of Voltron.”

A ripple went through the crowd, murmured echoes of Allura’s words growing as it spread.

The woman narrowed her eyes as she pursed her lips. She didn't believe them, but she refrained from commenting. Keith was relieved she didn't dismiss them outright; this would be enough of an uphill battle without the added complication of their leaders’ denouncement. 

“This way.”

The woman turned and left back the way she came, the crowd parting easily for her and the other elders. Romelle quickly moved to follow, leaving the others no choice but to go. Keith glanced back at Allura, noting the firm set of her expression, her eyes fixed on the Eldest’s back. 

She could do this. Keith had no doubt that she could. He only worried what it would take to get there.

They made their way through the streets toward a building that towered over the others, standing just beyond the town center. As they approached, Keith could see that it was entirely made of metal, the architecture more modern than the town itself, but the building had been painted to resemble wood. It was a curious decision, though he didn’t linger on it. 

Once inside, he understood.

He heard the others gasp, the realization hitting them all at once; they had walked inside an Altean spaceship. If Keith had been dropped inside without knowing the context, he would have thought he was back on the Castleship, though it seemed to be running on the bare minimum amount of power. 

The Eldest didn’t slow as she led them through the corridors, stopping only when she approached a set of double doors. She paused long enough for them to slide open, then stepped inside. The other elders filed in behind her, spreading out around the room to sit in their respective chairs, arranged in a half circle on the far side of the large room.

The group made their way to the center of the room and arranged themselves to allow Allura to stand front and center, Romelle to her left, Shiro and Keith to her right. 

“Allow me to formally welcome you to Pollux,” the Eldest said from her seat, centered in the council. “I am Selenor, the Eldest. We are the Council of Elders.” She motioned to the men and women seated around her, seven in total.

“Thank you for meeting with us, Eldest,” Allura said formally. “I am Princess Allura, daughter of King Alfor.”

“As you have said,” Selenor nodded. “Though it seems that you do not quite grasp the gravity of the words you speak.”

Allura frowned slightly. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“Romelle,” Selenor said without looking away from Allura. “You bring Alteans home, but neglect to teach them our history?”

Romelle bristled as she answered in a carefully even tone. “I have come to learn our history has been twisted into half-truths.”

“That’s a bold accusation,” another Elder said, his thin voice laced with warning. “You best have good reason for your disrespect, child.”

“These are the Paladins of Voltron,” Romelle said, waving an arm out over the group. “They have been fighting the Galra empire and have ended Zarkon’s rule. They discovered the lies Lotor has been feeding us and punished him for his transgressions.”

“I see you wear the same uniform as your guard, Allura” Selenor said, her eyes flicking between the paladins. “Do you lead Voltron as well?”

“I do not,” Allura stated clearly.

Selenor raised an eyebrow. “Who leads them?”

“The Black Paladin,” Keith spoke quickly, shutting down any other replies as he answered any lingering questions the team may have. “Shiro is our leader.” He noticed Shiro tense beside him, but he didn’t object. Keith knew they would be speaking afterwards. 

Selenor looked Shiro over, her gaze snagging on the sleeve pinned at his shoulder. Her expression twitched, the barest reaction, but it was enough and too much for Keith. For one blinding moment, he saw red, furious at her subtle judgement, but he just as quickly shoved it aside, as best he could. He had to remain calm; it wouldn’t do anyone any good if he lost his temper with the Altean leader.

He would keep his words to himself, but it didn’t mean he had to like her.

“You claim to be a Paladin of Voltron,” Selenor asked Shiro.

“I am, Eldest,” Shiro said respectfully. “We’re here to free your people from Lotor’s rule, and, with your permission, gather the supplies we’ll need to rebuild our Castleship.”

“Free us? What do we need freeing from?” Another Elder spoke. She frowned deeply at them, the expression exaggerated by the deep wrinkles of her face. 

“Lotor has protected us from the Galra threat for thousands of years,” Another one said. He shook his head in dismissal. “As for Voltron, it is just a myth, a legend from days of old. If it ever existed, it was destroyed with our planet.”

“Voltron is alive and well,” Allura said clearly. “The Lions are docked just beyond the doors of the colony.”

“My dear, it must have been difficult being alone for so long,” Seledon said. “Whatever you have gathered about our history is clearly incomplete.”

Allura gaped in disbelief. “Incomplete?”

“If I may,” Coran interjected, stepping up between Shiro and Allura. “I am Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, Advisor to the Royal family. I pride myself in having the most complete knowledge of Altean history of anyone alive, assuming of course it occured prior to ten thousand years ago,” he said, tugging at his moustache. “Princess Allura has a complete and well versed knowledge of our history.”

“And yet it is incomplete,” Selenor stated, dismissing him as he sputtered with indignation. “You say you are the daughter of King Alfor, an impossibility in and of itself, but the fact that you state it outright in the presence of those wronged by him is enough to prove your ignorance.”

“Wait just a minute!” Lance marched forward, planting himself in front of a stunned Allura. He pointed at the Eldest, shaking his finger angrily. “King Alfor didn’t wrong anyone! He fought against Zarkon when he tried to take Voltron for himself! He saved Allura, Coran, and the Lions.”

“Due to his actions, our planet was destroyed,” Selenor stated calmly, unmoved by his outburst. “Had he not sought power beyond his control, we would still have our world.”

“How did you get here?” Pidge asked before Lance could fire back, surprising everyone with her random question.

“How do you mean?” 

“Lotor is the reason you’re all gathered here, correct?” When Selenor nodded, she continued. “Did you get here using Altean ships or others?”

Keith frowned at her question, but he saw Allura’s face shift from confusion to understanding as she followed her line of thinking. Judging by her expression, Pidge had figured out how to prove their story.

“Our ancestors traveled here by Altean ships,” Selenor frowned. “It is how we were able to preserve our culture and rebuild.”

“Where are the ships now?” Pidge prompted.

“Many of the larger ships were deconstructed and used to create our new homes,” the Eldest replied. “However, a few of the transport ships were preserved, as well as many of the smaller vessels.”

“Then you have access to their ship logs,” Pidge said firmly. “If you had any research vessels, carriers, trade, even simple transports, then you have records of what actually happened back then. Why would you believe the lies that Lotor probably told you when you have your own proof?”

“Because no one can access them,” Romelle stated bitterly. 

“What do you mean, no one can access them?” Pidge asked angrily. “You’re Alteans, and you can’t use your own technology?”

“Young lady, you will watch your tone,” an Elder warned as he leaned forward in his seat. “Show some respect for your hosts.”

“I think we all need to take some time to think over what we’ve learned,” Hunk said in a calm voice, a disarming smile on his face. “We mean no disrespect, Elders. We’re simply trying to understand. We traveled a long way to get here, and it’s hard to reconcile what we’ve learned with what we know.”

“Of course.” Selenor waved the angry Elder back. “You must be tired from your journey. I’ll have someone show you to your rooms. We will continue this conversation tomorrow. As you said, we all have much to think about.”

Allura laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder, pulling him back slightly as she stepped beside him. “Thank you, Eldest.” She inclined her head, then squeezed Lance’s shoulder when he hesitated. He gave Selenor a sharp nod, then turned away, his entire focus on Allura.

Keith ignored the Elders as he followed the others out, replaying the conversation in his head. Overall, it had gone better than he expected, but frustrations had begun to mount near the end. He’d have to thank Hunk for his intervention when they settled down. 

Romelle left them with the Altean who would show them their rooms, stating that she was returning home. 

“I’ll be back in the morning,” she said as she left.

The group was quickly dispersed in their rooms, until only Keith and Shiro remained.

“This is the Black Paladin’s room,” the young man said, opening the door for Shiro. “Your room is further down the hall.”

“I’m staying here,” Keith said quickly, fighting a blush when both men looked at him. “You’re still recovering.”

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

Keith shook his head firmly. “Can we have another bed brought in? Or a cot?”

“Of course.”

The pair stepped inside and, after a quick study of the room, shoved the lone narrow bed aside, making room for the second. Keith helped Shiro out of the top of his armor without complaint, though Shiro insisted on apologizing for asking.

“It’s never a bother, Shiro,” Keith replied gently.

A knock on the door came just as they finished dressing for bed, and they helped the two Alteans maneuver the identical bed into place. Once they finished and left, the pair collapsed into their beds, exhausted.

Keith listened as Shiro’s breathing even out almost immediately, feeling guilty for keeping him up and running for such a long time. Despite Shiro’s protests, he still needed more rest than the others. He had pushed himself beyond his limits.

Tomorrow, Keith decided, he would make an effort to give Shiro more time to rest. Their presence wasn’t entirely necessary for negotiations. If Allura needed them, she could send someone to get them.

With a plan in mind, Keith relaxed, letting the sound of Shiro’s steady breathing lull him to sleep.

***

Keith was exhausted. Every muscle screamed in protest, every bruise complained about the harsh treatment, and still he fought. He brought his knife up, blocking another vicious blow, the force of it knocking him off his feet and over the edge. He landed hard on the platform below, knocking the air from his lungs.

He rolled over with a groan, the effort taking most of his strength, then crawled to his fallen knife. He just needed to reach a little further-

Shiro- no, the clone, landed heavily in front of him, sneering down at his prone form. Just as he raised his arm, Keith surged forward, grabbing the knife just as the clone swung with all his might.

Keith gasped and strained, nearly growling with the effort to hold the sword back. He turned his head away, biting back a scream as the heat of the edge burned against his face-

“Keith! It’s okay, it’s just a dream!”

Keith’s eyes snapped open and locked on Shiro’s face, leaning over him and filling his vision, and  _ moved. _ Before he could think, he lashed out, shoving Shiro away as he rolled out of his bed, landing heavily on the floor. He caught himself awkwardly on his hands and knees, one hand clutching the elusive Black Bayard. 

His eyes widened in horror as he stared at the deactivated weapon. With a cry, he threw it to the side, scrambling to get away, to get somewhere safe, his back to a wall. He curled up in the corner of the room, legs pressed to his chest, his face buried against his knees as he threaded his shaking hands in his hair, pulling painfully on the strands.

He had lashed out at Shiro. He had activated his bayard and  _ attacked _ Shiro. 

“Keith?”

Keith’s breath hitched at the sound of Shiro’s voice, tentative and gentle, like calming a wild animal. It wasn’t too far from how he felt.

“Did I hurt you?” 

His question was muffled; Keith didn’t even bother to hide the shaking in his voice.

“You didn’t hurt me,” Shiro said, his voice slow and clear. “I’m alright.”

Keith choked and bit down harshly on the inside of his cheek. He was relieved nothing happened, but what about next time? What will happen when he has another nightmare, when Shiro will inevitably try to help him? It may not happen the next time, but what about the time after that? 

His cheek throbbed, the dream bringing the old pain to the surface. He pressed it further against his bare skin, wishing he had something to distract him from the ache.

“I hurt you.”

Shiro had to stop talking. It was the only way Keith was going to hold it together. If he kept trying to understand, trying to take the blame onto himself, Keith wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He felt like every emotion he had ever experienced was trying to claw their way out of the same exit, tearing him apart in the process.

“Keith, look at me.”

His voice was closer; Keith could picture him crouched on the ground just before him, or maybe he had settled completely, sitting cross legged just out of reach, leaning over his knees. 

This was all backwards.

“Let me see what I did to you.”

Keith shook his head sharply, refusing to meet his gaze. The room fell silent for a long moment, broken only by Keith’s shaky breaths, that much louder in the night air.

“Black wanted you to have it,” Shiro said, his voice barely above a whisper. “She chose you then, despite what you said.”

Keith tightened his grip on his hair as a fresh wave of grief pounded against his dams. It had been heartbreaking to sit in his chair, to have the console light even as he begged her to reconsider. 

“I told her you would protest, but I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you to take my place.”

Shiro fell silent, but the air seemed charged with the unspoken. “You weren’t ready then; I know that now. Between my disappearance…” He trailed off, his guilt so clear Keith could picture his pinched expression. “They didn’t trust your judgement. You knew what needed to be done, but didn’t know how to tell the others.”

He chuckled suddenly, short and terse. “She was angry with me for pushing her to accept you, and for pushing you to accept her.”

Keith was torn. He didn’t want to hear that Black had second guessed her decision, but he wanted to know. He wanted to know that Shiro had been watching his missteps and vouching for him despite everyone’s doubts. Just like he’d always done, believing in Keith when no one else did, when he didn’t even believe in himself.

“When you flew Black again, you were different. Older, wiser, focused. Everything I saw in you was there for everyone to see, and Black knew it too. The way you handled the fight against the Sincline ships; I was so proud of you.”

The two years were a blessing and a curse. Keith was grateful for the time spent reconnecting with his mother, learning about her and his past, but it had been a long two years away from the people he now considered close friends and family. Two years away from Shiro. 

He’d learned a lot about himself. He’d had a lot of time to think. 

“I had to get you back,” Keith said, grimacing as he voice cracked. “I can’t lose you again.”

“She wanted you to have this,” Shiro said, his voice a little louder, a little brighter, silently asking Keith to look up. “She sent it to you during the fight, to help her paladin.”

“You’re her paladin,” Keith twitched in an aborted attempt to raise his head and glare at him. “I’m not a paladin anymore.”

“I had my time with Black,” Shiro said firmly, even closer now. “Now it’s your turn. The Black Bayard is yours. Black answers your call. She sensed you were in trouble. She saved you.”

“What about you?” Keith asked, raising his head enough to look over his knees through his arms. Shiro met his eyes with a sigh, visibly relaxing as he smiled fondly at Keith. He sat just in front of him, cross legged just as Keith imagined. In his lap was the Black Bayard.

“Can’t I cheer you on from the sidelines?” He joked, but Keith could see the uncertainty he tried to hide. 

“I’m won’t let you.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Keith cut him off, steeling his expression. “We’ll figure something out.”

Shiro reached out, sliding his hand to cup Keith’s cheek and pressed his palm against the scar. Keith froze, his eyes wide. 

“The Black Bayard saved you,” he said. “I promise to never hurt you again.”

“Don't make promises you can't keep,” Keith whispered, his voice cracking with unshed tears. 

Shiro shook his head as he shifted, adjusting enough to pull Keith into his lap. He slid his hand from Keith’s cheek to cup the back of his head, pressing his wounded cheek to chest, just above his heart. Keith squeezed his eyes shut as he wrapped his arms around him, listening to the steady heartbeat.

“I promise,” Shiro whispered.

Keith believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I didn't drag Matt along just to be filler.


	4. Past and Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah blah holiday excuse blah blah life and things. 
> 
> But honestly, I'm sorry it took so long to post this chapter.

Keith woke to pounding on the door. He blinked blearily as he rolled to rise, carefully extracting himself from under Shiro’s arm. 

After he calmed down, Shiro had insisted on pushing their beds together.

“So I can be close by if you need me,” he’d said by way of explanation.

“We’re already in the same room,” Keith had argued weakly, but he’d quickly given up the fight when Shiro began shoving Keith’s bed across the room, alternating between awkwardly pushing with his legs and his arm. Keith had helped maneuver it the rest of the way until they were flush against each other. They both climbed into their beds, pausing long enough to pull the covers free where they were pinched between, and quickly fallen asleep. 

The pounding picked up again, and Keith mustered the effort to glare. As he stood up, he heard Shiro shift and groan.

“What's going on?” He asked, voice thick with sleep.

Keith shook his head, now doubly annoyed by the early wake up call. They had better have a dang good reason to wake Shiro.

He scrubbed his face as he unlocked the door, staring blankly at the unfamiliar face on the other side.

“Paladins, you’re needed in the Elder Chamber immediately.”

Keith came alert in a moment, snapping out a hand to stop Shiro’s movement when he began to rise. “Did something happen?”

The guard ignored his question. “I am to escort both of you to the chambers as soon as you are ready.”

“Keith, what’s going on?”

Keith frowned at the stubborn guard. “Fine. Five ticks.” He promptly shut the door in his face, then strode across the room to collect Shiro’s suit and armor.

Shiro sat up on the bed, watching Keith stalk around the room with a confused frown. “How soon do we need to leave?” He threw his legs over the edge as he accepted the offered suit.

“ASAP,” Keith answered, quickly tugging on his suit. Once finished, he moved to help Shiro pull his suit over his shoulders without comment, then turned back to donning his own armor. After securing the final clasps on Shiro’s chestpiece, Keith moved to pin his sleeve when he hesitated.

“Do you-”

“Go ahead.” Shiro nodded to him, smiling slightly. “I don’t mind.”

As Keith bent to work, he tried to ignore the sudden stab of guilt. Shiro had already forgiven him for removing the infected arm. He needed to forgive himself.

Easier said than done.

“Thanks,” Shiro said as he rolled his shoulder. “You do a much better job than I can.”

“Yours looked just fine,” Keith said as he pulled away. 

“Maybe, but I think I'll keep you around anyway.”

Keith felt his cheeks heat and he looked away quickly, his lips quirking rebelliously in a smile.

The pair left quickly and followed the guard in silence. Keith wracked his brain for possible issues that would warrant their immediate attention. They weren't under attack. Was someone hurt? Did the Elders come to a decision already? Were they being asked to leave? 

A hand on his shoulder stopped his spiralling thoughts, and Keith allowed himself to relax slightly under the familiar touch. 

The pair entered the Elder Chamber, the converted control room they had used to meet the Elders the day before. Keith glanced over the small gathering, noting that the only representative for the Elders was Selenor. Allura stood across from her, a fierce glare on her face, Coran just behind with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked up as Keith and Shiro crossed the room and visibly perked up, straightening as his shoulders slumped in relief.

“Thank the stars you're here!”

Keith tensed as he looked past the squared off women where Hunk and Matt stood, guards on either side, their hands bound behind their back. He barely held his tongue as his anger surged to the surface, infuriated to find his teammates tied up like prisoners.

“What's going on?” Shiro demanded, his voice hard. He stepped just in front of Keith, allowing him a moment to rein in his emotions. Keith inhaled slowly as he closed his eyes. Shiro was their leader; Keith had said so himself. As much as he wanted to demand answers, he would defer to him.

Before anyone could answer, Allura spoke, her face a thundercloud. “I've waited long enough. You requested the Black Paladin be present, here he is. Release them at once.”

Selenor watched her, her face carefully blank, then she turned to one of the guards, who Keith noticed was Arun, the Altean who had confronted them when they had arrived. He could feel his temper rising again. Whatever had happened, the final odds were stacked against them.

“Be calm, princess,” Selenor said, her inflection twisting the title to sound condescending. “Your warriors were found attempting to break into a restricted area.”

Keith openly scowled as Allura gasped. She ignored the Elder to glance between the pair. Hunk hunched his shoulders under her gaze as Matt glanced at Shiro, who frowned deeply.

“Is this true, Matt?”

Matt pursed his lips in annoyance. “We were just looking around and got lost.” He looked away, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet. “We didn't mean anything by it.”

Shiro tensed as he studied Matt and Keith knew - Matt was lying.

Keith glanced at Hunk, catching his eye. His eyes widened in mounting panic as he realized Keith knew. He shook his head once, a sharp, jerking movement, and Keith narrowed his eyes.

Just then, Shiro glanced over his shoulder, catching their silent exchange.

“Hunk,” Shiro said, drawing out his name as he turned to the guilty paladin. 

“We didn’t mean anything by it, really!” Hunk stammered, nearly vibrating with tension.

“Where’s Pidge?” Keith asked sharply, surprising the room’s occupants.

“Pidge? Who?” Hunk laughed nervously. “Never heard of her.”

Matt sighed loudly as Shiro and Allura frowned in tandem. 

“Hunk,” Allura said gently but firmly. “Tell us the truth. What were you doing in a restricted area? Where is Pidge?”

“We were just looking around-”

“Hunk,  _ stop _ -”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Selenor interrupted as she nodded Arun, who looked extremely pleased to have caught the pair. “It seems there is one more guest missing. Find her.”

“No need to trouble yourselves.”

Keith blinked in surprise as Pidge’s voice echoed through the room.

“Pidge,” Shiro said sharply. “What are you doing?”

A screen lit up on the far wall, displaying Pidge sitting it what looked like another control room. Selenor’s eyes widened as Arun whirled on another guard standing near the doors. 

“Arrest her immediately!” 

“Is that any way to treat your guests?” Pidge grinned as she tapped the panel in front of her. Pounding could be heard in the background, no doubt coming from the locked door.

“Pidge, you better have a good reason for breaking into a restricted area.” Shiro glared at the screen.

Pidge straightened as she grew serious. “Why can’t Alteans use Altean technology?”

Allura looked expectantly at Selenor as Coran squinted at the screen.

“Wait a tick,” he murmured. “Is that a transport ship?”

“One of three,” Pidge answered. “All in full statis mode with their crystals intact.”

Allura gasped and turned back to the screen. “Why are Altean ships locked in a restricted area?”

“Because no one can use their technology.”

Keith turned as Romelle entered the room, Lance trailing behind her as he fought to catch his breath.

“I don’t understand.” Allura shook her head slowly, eyes locked on Romelle.

“Magic,” Lance heaved. He straightened with a grimace, leaning to the side to stretch his legs. “Lotor took all the Alteans who could use magic.”

Keith felt all the air leave the room. Allura could have been carved from stone; Coran wasn’t much better.

“Release them immediately.” Shiro’s voice cut through the silence, cold and hard. He ignored Arun’s angry objections, his eyes locked with Selenor. When she refuse to act, Keith made the decision for her.

He strode forward, forcing himself between Matt and his guard with a glare. Once the Altean backed off, he cut Matt free, repeating the task with Hunk. He accepted their thanks with a nod and followed them back to Shiro’s side.

“You knew?” Allura whispered. “Did you have any idea of what Lotor was doing to them? Why he chose them?”

“How Prince Lotor selected those bound for the colony is his own business,” Selenor said in an even voice. “There are those who were meant to go, and those who remained behind.”

“The effect is twofold,” Pidge said, her eyes downcast. “The obvious, to gather quintessence, but it also removed anyone who could have accessed the ship logs and learn the truth.”

“You mean the crystals,” Shiro said as his fist clenched.

“How does anything have power if it requires someone like Allura to activate?” Keith asked with a frown.

“Latent energy and the ship’s status,” Pidge said. Keith blinked at her, and she waved a hand carelessly. “The ship is essentially in sleep mode. Only the most essential processes are running. Life support, for example, and the doors and lights can easily operate on the little bit of energy the crystals give off naturally.”

“But not enough to access the logs,” Matt said grimly.

“Exactly.”

“What do you need me to do?” Allura squared her shoulders as she turned to Pidge. Selenor’s expression twitched, the first break in her careful mask. Keith kept an eye on her, ready in case she decided to act. Shiro adjusted his stance, obviously thinking along the same lines.

“Just a little nudge,” Pidge said, hands poised over the controls. “The ship you’re in is wired directly to this one.”

Allura nodded her understanding and moved to the control panel beside the screen.

Selenor reached out to stop her. “That’s enough! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

Hunk stepped between her and Allura. She glared daggers at him as she recoiled.

“Think of how my people will react,” Selenor said, speaking around Hunk’s wide form. “Prince Lotor has kept us safe for millenia. We owe him our lives.”

“No,” Allura said, her hand hovering just above the control panel. “He twisted your goodwill to harvest our people for his own gain. The fact that you knew and let it happen is unforgivable.”

Before Selenor could answer, Allura pressed her palm to the panel. The now familiar glow of power illuminated her hand and spread into the panel. Pidge bent over the controls, hands flying as her eyes darted back and forth.

“Got it!”

Suddenly, Pidge was replaced with a new image: King Alfor.

Keith straightened as Allura gasped, stepping back to see the screen clearly.

“Citizens of Altea, I speak to you with a heavy heart and a message I never imagined delivering: we have been betrayed. Zarkon has attempted to claim the power of Voltron for himself. Thanks to the brave efforts of my fellow paladins, we were able to wrest the Black Lion from his control, at the cost of their lives.” He paused a moment, closing his eyes as he regained his composure. 

Allura stood frozen, her hands clenched at her sides as she stared at his visage. “I do not remember this,” she whispered.

“I have sent the lions away, hidden them beyond Zarkon’s grasp, and sealed the Black Lion,” he continued, speaking directly at the camera, his eyes piercing, demanding their attention. “Zarkon has viewed my actions as a declaration of war.”

His words echoed in the silent chamber, heavy and dire despite the passage of time.

“This is not the path I wanted.” Alfor’s shoulders sank a fraction, the subtle movement hinting to the turmoil that raged below the surface. “We must be prepared for the worst. Zarkon will move against us with the full might of the Galra fleet.” He hesitated, emotions warring briefly on his face before falling carefully neutral.

“We will not win.”

Keith gasped sharply, the certainty of King Alfor’s words hitting him like a sucker punch. He knew the result of the conflict between the Galra and Alteans, knew the extent of the destruction wrought in their war, but to hear their leader, a fellow paladin, announce their end with such certainty was heart wrenching. Beside him, Shiro stood as still as a statue, his face hard, a mask hiding deep and rolling emotions. 

Allura flinched hard at his words but remained silent, every line of her body radiating tension. Lance crossed the room silently to stand beside her, close enough to touch, but kept his hands at his side. 

“I will hold him off as long as I can,” Alfor said firmly, his eyes boring through the screen. “People of Altea, it is not easy for me to ask this of you, but please, you must leave. No ship is to return. Those who can must flee. Zarkon will not rest until we are destroyed utterly.”

He paused as he closed his eyes. “These will be my final words to you. I wish safety upon you all. Altea lives on through you.”

The screen went black, King Alfor’s last words echoing in the chamber. Allura pressed a hand to her face as her shoulders hunched. Lance immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as she wept silently. 

“What have you done?” Selenor whispered. She glared at Allura’s back. “You have destroyed the sanctuary our ancestors worked so hard to create!”

“It’s all lies, lady,” Matt sneered. He shifted his weight, just enough to block her view as he crossed his arms. “Lies you helped maintain. You’re just as bad as Lotor.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, outsider!” Selenor snarled at him.

“Pidge,” Allura’s watery voice broke through the impending argument. She raised her head from Lance’s chest as Pidge’s face returned to the screen. “I need to speak to them.”

Pidge nodded and began typing again. “We can use the same channel we used to broadcast King Alfor. I’ll have you set up in a tick.”

“You can’t speak with them. I won’t allow it!”

“Hunk,” Shiro said flatly. He frowned at the old Altean, his fist clenched tightly at his side. Keith caught the slight twitch in his arm, the same aborted movement to cross his arms.

Hunk slapped his hands together, rubbing them together theatrically. “With pleasure.” He moved behind Selenor and grabbed her arms, holding her in place.

“Ready when you are, Allura,” Pidge said with a nod.

Allura leaned back and wiped her face, nodding slightly at Lance’s whispered words. He let her go reluctantly as he took a step back, his eyes locked on her. 

The rest group moved to the side, out of the way of the camera as Allura took her place. She waited until Pidge nodded, then straightened and stared at the screen.

“People of Pollux, Alteans, I am Princess Allura, daughter of King Alfor. I realize there are those who doubt my words, but I assure you: I am here to help you. What you just saw was my father speaking to all Alteans before our world was destroyed.” She paused as she inhaled a steadying breath. “I am here to speak with our remaining people.”

Keith felt a little nudge against his arm. He looked at Shiro in question, his stomach twisting when he saw his expression.

“I’m not the leader of Voltron.”

Keith scowled, barely biting back a snarl. “Yes, you are.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow, unimpressed and shook his head slightly. “The leader pilots the Black Lion-”

“We are not having this conversation now,” Keith bit out, glancing quickly at Allura just out of earshot.

“-and I can’t fly, Keith.” Shiro continued, ignoring Keith’s protest.

“Lotor has deceived you, deceived all of us.” Allura clenched her fists, her expression carefully controlled. “He collected as many Alteans he could under the pretext of protecting and preserving our culture, but in reality, he was merely hoarding the greatest source of quintessence he had found: Altean lifeforce. He has been using you for his own gain.”

Behind her, Selenor tried to step forward and reach for Allura. Hunk pulled her back, easily holding her as she struggled. “Enough! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“Geez, lady,” Matt rolled his eyes as he moved in front of her, blocking her view of Allura. “She some respect for your princess, or I’ll teach you some respect.”

Satisfied that the pair had the situation under control, Keith jabbed a finger at Shiro. “That is only temporary,” he whispered harshly. “Once Pidge and Hunk are done with your arm, you  _ will _ fly Black again.”

Shiro looked vaguely amused by his declaration. “Does Black get a say in this?”

“I’m serious, Shiro,” Keith narrowed his eyes at him. “I am not the leader of Voltron.”

“Why?”

Keith froze, blindsided by the question. Did he really not know?

Allura continued speaking, ignoring the other occupants of the room. “I understand this is a lot to take in. I have been in your shoes. When Coran and I awoke from our cryogenic sleep, we learned that ten thousand years had passed and our world had been destroyed.” Her voice quaked slightly at the end, and she clenched her eyes shut as she pressed on. “We thought we were the only ones left.”

Selenor sneered at Allura’s broken whisper. “Lovely touch,  _ princess _ , but they will never believe your lies. You weren’t there for us. Lotor has protected us for years!”

“Thanks to the Paladins of Voltron, we have managed to fight back against the Galra Empire,” Allura held her head high, her eyes bright with tears. “We fought for Altea, for the countless worlds destroyed, for all the people enslaved, and to protect those who have not yet fallen under their rule. Now, let us fight for you.”

The screen suddenly flickered, switching to a familiar and menacing face. “That was quite a rousing speech, Princess.”

Keith nearly growled as Shiro stiffened beside him. Allura gasped and scowled, her expression matching Keith’s. 

“Sendak,” she spat. 

“I will admit, I am impressed with Lotor’s ability to turn Alteans against themselves,” he smirked slightly. “I have their blind faith to thank.”

Allura whirled, furious and hurt, on Selenor, who stared in horror at the screen. 

“I’ll finish what Zarkon started,” Sendak smiled, wide and cruel. “Altea and Voltron end here.”


	5. Risk Reward

Sendak’s words echoed in the chamber, heavy and menacing. Everyone stared at the black screen with various degrees of shock. Keith tensed as he began forming battle plans, his attention moving inwards until Allura’s sharp movements caught his eye.

She marched up to Selenor, teeth bared in a furious scowl. “What have you done?”

Selenor stared past her, eyes blank. “I sent word for Lotor,” she said, her voice weak and breathy. “How could this happen?”

“Honestly, you’re something else,” Matt pulled a face, arms crossed over his chest.

“Pidge, what’s Sendak’s location?” Shiro asked, eyes on the black screen. Pidge’s image popped up on the screen, then slid to the side as she brought up an overlay. 

“He’s already in the planet’s atmosphere. We won’t have much time to get everyone to safety.”

“We can evacuate them to the transport ships,” Coran said as he turned to Romelle. “From there we can get them off the planet.”

“Who’s going to fly them?” Romelle asked as she clenched her fists. “I don’t know how to fly and the paladins must pilot their lions.”

“There’s a protocol installed in the old transports that allow multiple ships to fly in formation behind a lead ship,” Coran explained as he gestured toward Matt. “We can pilot a ship each, while you man the last one. All you’ll need to do is engage the follow command and just make sure it doesn’t veer too far off course.”

Matt quirked an eyebrow. “Bold of you to assume I can use Altean tech.”

“We need to get to the lions,” Shiro broke in. “Allura, send out a message to evacuate the citizens. We need to leave immediately if we’re going to make it.”

Keith stared at the overlay, calculating Sendak’s trajectory as the others moved around him to follow Shiro’s orders. He narrowed his eyes as he mentally assessed his results, knowing his answer was correct even as his stomach sank. He needed to act, now.

“We won't get to the lions in time,” Keith said, already moving towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Shiro asked. “We need to stick to the plan.”

“To do what I've been trained for.” Keith pressed the hidden button at his hip, activating his Blade armor, the strange tech easily swapping out his paladin armor for the new. He turned just as his mask covered his face and sprinted down the halls. He had to get on Sendak’s ship. If he could disable the power somehow, it would buy the others enough time to escape. As he burst out of the grounded ship, he heard Allura's voice echo through the town.

“All citizens evacuate to the Ancestor’s Hall immediately!”

Keith assumed that was the building housing the transport ships. Unfortunately, between her announcement and Sendak’s arrival, people were in a panic. He dodged and weaved through the masses, pulling himself into doorways to catch his breath before pressing on. 

He watched from the village’s edge as the massive ship touched down, its bay doors opening to unleash streams of Galra soldiers. Keith grit his teeth as he hid from the approaching hoard, fighting the urge to take out as many as possible. He needed to remain undetected if he was going to make it onto the ship.

He just had to trust the others to protect the citizens.

The line of soldiers eventually trickled away, and Keith easily snuck aboard the ship, smirking to himself when he recognized the layout.

Easy.

“Keith, can you hear me?”

Keith paused to duck behind some crates before answering Shiro. “Copy that. I'm on Sendak’s ship.”

“You need to get to the Lions. The others are already making their way there.”

“Negative. I'm already here-"

“Keith, let me do that!”

Keith switched off his com as he checked around the crate. Just as he braced to move, a hand landed on his shoulder. Keith immediately whirled, throwing off his assailant as he drew his knife. He shoved the large form against the wall and pressed his knife under their chin. In a blink, he froze, eyes wide behind his mask.

“Shiro?”

“You turned off your com,” Shiro said, his voice carefully even. “I gave you an order.”

“I'm not one of your paladins,” Keith snarled, suddenly furious. “This is what I've been doing all this time, taking out Galra ships with my bare hands. You can't stop me.”

“And what am I supposed to do?” Shiro asked, his presence becoming menacing and overbearing, despite being the one pinned to the wall. Keith bit back the urge to step away under his harsh glare. “Do you expect me to just talk to Black, ask her to fly where I need her to go?”

“I just want you somewhere safe,” Keith argued. “Black can protect you-"

“And you can't? Am I so much of a burden that you can't watch my back?”

Keith stumbled back a step, his arm dropping to his side, the blade heavy in his grip. “You're never a burden, Shiro.”

“Then stop pushing me away.” Shiro leaned off the wall as he spoke. “Stop trying to put me in a place where I'm completely useless!” He whispered furiously.

With a single treacherous thought, Keith lowered his mask, laying his shock and hurt on display.

“I never meant to do that to you,” he breathed, nearly drowning in guilt. “I just- Being a paladin meant so much to you. I didn't want to take that away from you.”

Shiro’s gaze softened as he pushed off the wall. “Keith-"

The pair tensed, both hearing the same disturbance, then Keith moved, shoving Shiro against the wall again, raising a hand to cover Shiro’s mouth. They held their breath as a sentry passed, only releasing when the footsteps faded. Keith lowered his hand but remained in place, pressed against Shiro from shoulder to hip.

“You're not useless,” Keith whispered, swallowing thickly. His heart thumped loudly in his ears, hyper aware of exactly where they touched. He barely refrained from jumping when a large warm hand settled on his hip.

“I'll watch your back if you watch mine.” Shiro’s hot breath ruffled Keith’s bangs. He looked up into familiar steel grey eyes and smiled.

“Deal.”

The pair made their way through the ship quickly, spurred by Keith’s knowledge of the ship’s layout. Shiro followed close behind him, clutching the Black Bayard tightly in his hand. Keith had insisted Shiro keep it for their mission, unwilling to let him go unarmed. They stopped at strategic points throughout, pausing long enough to sabotage parts of the ship, just enough to keep it functioning until the crucial point of takeoff. 

As they approached the engine room, the ship began to groan and rumble. Keith glanced back at Shiro, the firm set of his jaw matching his own. 

“Allura, status.” Shiro frowned as he waited for her response. Keith took the moment to clear the area, keeping an eye on Shiro’s position as he watched for any wandering guards.

“The ships are clear.” A grunt of pain escaped over the coms, ramping up the tension between them. “We just got to our lions and are providing cover. Sendak’s ship just took off. Where are you?”

“Still on board.” Shiro met Keith’s eyes, his gaze unwavering. “We’re almost done here.”

“You both need to return-”

“Don’t worry, Allura. We’re just going to leave a parting gift.”

Despite the situation, Keith rolled his eyes, allowing a small grin to peak through as he turned away. 

“Be safe.”

“Same to you.”

Keith waited until Shiro joined him at the entrance to the engine room before speaking. “If we blow two of the engines, it will give us enough time to get off the ship before it crashes.” A warm hand fell on his shoulder, gripping tightly.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Follow me.”

The pair slipped down to the large engines, stepping as lightly as possible on the metal walkway surrounding the suspended machinery. Keith frowned as he studied the panels, searching for the one he would need to access the correct components. 

“Keith.”

He turned to glance at Shiro, then followed where he pointed to a large panel below their current platform. “That’s it.”

After glancing around for stairs, he slid between the rails and dropped down to the lower platform.

“Impatient,” Shiro chuckled from above. 

“Tight deadline,” Keith replied easily, tossing a smirk at Shiro’s amused expression. They both turned away, Shiro focused on covering Keith’s back as he worked. It didn’t take long for them to be interrupted.

“Intruders!” 

Keith grit his teeth as he heard Shiro curse. He jammed his knife in the panel’s edge and pried the door open. With a savage wrench, he ripped it off its hinges.

“Shiro!” Without waiting for a reply, he flung the door above him, watching long enough to see Shiro grab it out of the air and set it up the makeshift cover, crouching low as laser fire filled the air. He turned back to the exposed panel, mind racing as he worked out the best way to use their borrowed time. If he disabled it in the wrong order, he risked blowing the engine before they could get out of the blast zone.

“Keith, down!”

Keith dropped without a second thought, activating his mask on instinct alone. Within a split second, the panel before him exploded, throwing him from where he crouched. He slammed into the far rail, smacking his head off one of the posts suspending the walkway. 

“ _ Keith _ !”

He groaned weakly as he fought to gather himself, his head ringing painfully as he rolled onto his side, gasping for breath. As his mask vanished, he blinked against the flames pouring out of what remained of the panel. His head felt fuzzy, and he couldn’t tell if the roaring in his ears was his own blood or the searing fire as it turned the engine to mangled scrap.

“ _ Keith _ ! Answer me!”

“I’m-” Keith coughed weakly as he pushed himself to his knees. “I’m okay.”

He gasped as the platform jerked, the heat weakening the heavily damaged supports. With a groan, he rose to his feet, blinking quickly as he tried to find a way back to safety. Keith could feel the metal bending beneath his feet as the platform slowly gave way. Time was running out, yet even as his mind raced, he knew there was no escape.

This was the end.

“Keith!”

He looked up with a jerk, spotting Shiro where he leaned over the edge of the platform above, dangerously close to falling over himself. His eyes were wide with fear, the muscles of his neck standing out against the black suit from his iron grip on the rail. “You have to jump!”

Keith gauged the distance, painfully aware that his quick math would confirm what he already knew, even without his injuries. “It's too far,” he said with a sudden calm. If this was how he went, at least he would have the peace of mind knowing Shiro was safe.

“No, it's not!” Shiro roared, inching closer toward his tipping point. “You can't give up now. I won't let you!”

“Shiro-"

“You can't do this to me, not after what you said!”

Keith gasped, the air freezing in his lungs. Everything he had felt from that moment, the desperation, fear, and longing rose like a wave in his chest, squeezing his throat shut. He remembered, had said as much, but that moment had been so different from the rest. It was the briefest of interludes, the last desperate plea to reach him.

“I will  _ never  _ give up on you,” Shiro said, his jaw clenched as he strained, reaching for Keith with what was left of his arm. “I won't let you give up on yourself!”

“You can't reach me, Shiro,” Keith said softly, his words barely heard above the creaking metal. “I have only myself to blame.”

“Stop it!” Shiro shook his head sharply as he closed his eyes. “Stop it, Keith! You have to try!”

Keith looked up, taking precious moments to memorize Shiro's face, the way the bright light of the failing engine lit the lines he knew and loved.

"You can't leave me, not now," Shiro pleaded, his voice both desperate and angry. "You can't do this to me!"

"Shiro-"

"I'm not leaving here without you." Shiro inched closer to the edge, sending Keith's heart into his throat.

"Stop! You'll fall!"

"At least I'll be with you." Shiro grit his teeth as he strained, stretching what was left of his arm as far as he could, so clearly not enough.

"You can't!" Keith took an automatic step forward, his hands raised in an unconscious effort to push Shiro away from danger. He needed to make him understand how important it was to Keith that he remained safe, that he deserved to take a step back and let someone else be in danger for once. "I won't let you!"

Shiro’s lips twisted, more a pained grimace than a grin. "Then come up here and stop me."

Keith felt torn; he wanted nothing more than to reach up and accept, but there was nothing he could do. He knew this was the end. He looked around, reassessing the damage to the platform, searching for anything that could help him bridge the distance. Once again, he came up empty, the results twisting the blade of hopelessness in his chest.

The platform suddenly lurched, and in a blink, he made up his mind. He quickly backed up, then sprinted to the edge, leaping up onto the rail, then jumping with all his might, the sound of his name from Shiro’s lips filling his ears. He reached as far as he could, his eyes locked with Shiro’s, shoving away the inevitable, focusing instead on the desperation on his face, his entire focus on Keith. 

He felt the moment when he reached the apex of his leap, felt the sickening lurch in his stomach as gravity overcame his final attempt to survive. Keith inhaled slowly, smiling up at Shiro as he let go, finding peace knowing that Shiro never gave up on him, even when Keith wasn’t enough. 

A bright flash of light suddenly blinded him, forcing him to shut his eyes. Just as quickly, he jerked to a stop as something wrapped around his wrist, straining his shoulder with the sharp movement. He gasped as he was pulled up, the reality of his close call catching up with the rest of his body, causing him to shake with a surge of adrenaline. He barely had any strength to help pull himself over the edge, but a strong, familiar arm wrapped around him, pulling him tight against an equally familiar chest. He allowed himself to be manipulated until he was sitting on the floor, grateful for a moment to collect himself.

“Keith, are you alright?  _ God _ , I almost lost you. Please tell me you’re okay-”

Keith leaned bonelessly into Shiro’s chest, taking his time to breathe as he shook, his limbs heavy and weak at his sides. “I’m okay,” he croaked, grunting when Shiro pulled him closer as he buried his head in Keith’s shoulder. 

Shiro shook his head as he inhaled a shaky breath. “I can’t lose you.”

Keith bit his lip as he closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of Shiro’s arms-

He snapped his eyes open as he pulled away, ignoring Shiro’s startled question as he stared in disbelief at Shiro’s side. “Your arm…”

Shiro looked down in open disbelief, pulling his new arm between them. He raised his other hand, his fingers trembling as he tugged off his glove, revealing the new limb. He stared at it, his eyes watering as he flexed his hand slowly. The arm looked so much like the original Keith could have been fooled into thinking he had never lost it, had he not removed it himself. As Shiro turned his hand over, he began to notice subtle differences, darker coloring, the lines of the contrasting black and white slightly different. Keith slowly laid his hand over Shiro’s, gasping as Shiro laced his fingers between his own, the contact and familiar spark jolting through his body.

“It’s the bayard,” Keith gasped as he looked up, catching Shiro’s gaze, eyes blown wide. “Shiro, it’s the Black Bayard.” 

“How?” Shiro gasped, his voice quaking.

Keith shook his head slowly, suddenly giddy, high on his near-death experience and the feel of Shiro’s hand held tightly in his own. “I don’t know, but we need to go.” Even as he spoke, he wasn’t sure his legs could support him. He still felt shaky and weak. Before he could move, Shiro acted, rising swiftly before scooping Keith into his arms, ignoring his squawk of surprise.

“Shiro, I can walk,” Keith argued, glaring weakly at Shiro, knowing it was useless by the determined set of his jaw. As expected, his protests were ignored, and he spent their trek marveling at the feel of two arms wrapped securely around him. 

The Black Bayard had proven to be temperamental at best, showing up only when it was absolutely necessary. Keith half expected to drop to the floor at any moment when the testy bayard decided to vanish again, but they progressed without incident. 

Keith almost grimaced at the bitter irony. He never imagined it would be strange for Shiro to have both arms.

“Hanger?” Keith asked as he tried to focus on the task at hand. He could feel the telltale tilt in the ship as it listed to the side, steadily increasing as strain on the remaining engines set off their own failures.

“Escape pods,” Shiro replied, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. Keith wasn’t sure how they would manage to defend themselves if they encountered anyone. He didn’t want to admit how weak he felt. Without Shiro’s help, he wouldn’t have made it this far.

As if sensing his pain, Shiro pulled him closer, fitting Keith firmly against his chest plate.

Once they reached the hanger, Shiro crouched behind some crates near the door and gently lowered Keith to the ground. Keith watched him scan the room, too tired to do much more than lean against his side. He would need every bit of energy he could muster to escape.

“No pods,” Shiro growled, his hand wrapping tightly around Keith’s shoulder. “We need a way to get to Black.”

Keith grimaced as his own brainstorming came up empty before a crazy thought floated to the surface. He glanced at Shiro, already bracing for the inevitable protest, and stretched his mind out to the Black Lion.

Her answering growl made him smile internally, even when he knew she would not like his plan. He sent her a visual, backing up his proposal with every time he had done it in the past. He winced as her disapproving growl blanketed his mind.

“Keith, are you alright?” Shiro asked, watching Keith with concern.

“Yeah, just finalizing our ticket out of here,” Keith said, distracted by the mental argument. He sensed her take off, her anger almost burning as brightly as her boosters, and Keith quirked a grin before working on the second hurdle. He turned up to Shiro and met his worried gaze. “You’re not going to like this.”

Shiro frowned, his grip on Keith’s shoulder tightening briefly. “Like what?” He asked cautiously.

Keith turned back to the hanger, his eyes landing on the door override not far from where they hid. “I’ve arranged for a pickup,” he said, keeping his answers pointedly vague.

“Keith…”

“Come on.” He didn’t wait for an answer before gathering what bit of strength he had left to dart out into the open, making a break for the bay doors. He heard Shiro just behind him as he slammed the controls, bracing against the wall as the wind whipped through the hanger.

Shiro braced beside him, his jaw clenched in concentration, his eyes fixed on Keith.

“Do you trust me?” Keith yelled above the howling air, meeting Shiro’s gaze.

“Always.” Shiro answered without hesitation, and Keith smiled widely at him. He reached for Black, sensing her presence nearby, and felt his smile stretch with his rising adrenaline. It was one thing to do this on impulse; it was another thing entirely to plan it out and drag the love of his life with him.

He surged forward, pressing a kiss to Shiro’s lips, feeling his startled gasp before he kissed back. Keith grabbed the top of Shiro’s chest plate, holding on for dear life and suppressing a moan when he felt Shiro’s hands wrap around his waist. 

Without a second thought, Keith flung himself backwards and over the edge, pulling Shiro along with him. 

Shiro’s scream was drowned out by the rush of air filling Keith’s ears, but he could read his name on Shiro’s lips, the wide eyed fear that dominated his face. Shiro pulled him against his chest, wrapping both arms firmly around him as they fell. Keith stretched his mind out just as a furious roar tore through the air, shaking them both to the core.

In a blink, Black scooped them into her mouth, and the pair landed on the floor. Keith groaned harshly as Shiro’s weight fell heavily on top of him, his back screaming at the brutal treatment. He could feel every line of him shaking as Shiro’s iron grip held him in place.

“Never. Do that. Again.” Shiro gasped against his neck, echoing Black’s constant angry growls in Keith’s head.

_ I’m not as fast as Red _ , she enunciated angrily as she turned them back towards the other lions.

Keith fought down a bubble of hysterical laughter, high off the adrenaline rush and his success. “Right, got it, no problem,” he rambled, trying and failing to keep the goofy grin off his face, knowing it looked more like a grimace. Shiro shoved himself onto his elbows, just enough to glare down at him before he dropped his head, pressing his forehead to Keith’s. 

“You’re impossible,” he said fondly.

“That’s what you love about me,” Keith grinned as his cheeks began to ache. His heart pounded in his throat as blood surged through his ears, making it difficult to concentrate. He vaguely registered Shiro moving away, then he was being pulled to his feet. He wobbled for a moment, fighting to stand on legs that felt like jelly and leaned against Shiro’s steady presence until the feeling passed.

“Alright?”

Keith nodded at Shiro’s softly spoken question, then led them into the cockpit, his mind turning back to the battle that raged just outside. He shoved any residual effects from his freefall aside as he focused on the task at hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, how 'bout that shit show ending, folks? I considered writing my own fix-it fic too, but decided since I had this one started, I would simply continue this story, gives me a bit more wiggle room. There are things I liked a lot in Season 7 that I'll keep in this, but S8? Yeah.... we'll see.
> 
> Also, let me have my crazy armor swapping tech! Keith should be able to switch between Paladin and Blade whenever he wants, or when I need him to, haha.

**Author's Note:**

> All about that Sheithy goodness over on Tumblr @remsyk-blog


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